Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-09-06, Page 1T:^am..,yal� 120th Year • Whole No. 58.17 SEAFOR.T.H, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6i 1979: • 211 PAGES S13 a year in, advanets, . Single Copy 30 ceatst, Seafo h Seaforth council hasaskedthe tour other members of the present Fire Area Board (FAB) •to meet with it and discuss, a compromise on the town's proposalto sell fire protection to the townships, but the townships want to renegotiate the ;present fire agreement • instead. Seaforth.• announced this summer, it was pulling oui of the FAB which has been wrangling about fire hydrantscosts for more than a year. The compromise, suggested to. the FAB by town clerk Jim Crocker, writing, as a private citizen concerned with bad feeling amongmunciipalities, was endorsed. by council at a special meeting last Wednesday night. Mr,. Crocker suggested in effect a six month trial during which Seaforth would provide fire protection for the four municipalities. Equity in the present fire equipment, which Seaforth loses by pulling out of the FAB, would still go to the townships, if after trying the new arrange, ments they decided to go on their own. Councillors , agreed that prices Seaforth will charge for fire protection to the townships are negotiable. "There's not one person at this table who's not willing to sit down and talk to them about it", said: Mayor John Sinnamon: However, all the township councils. indicated that they aren'twilling to talk about buying fire protection from Seaforth but they are interested in renegotiating the present FAB agreement. • Seaforth council. and. FAB chairman Irwin Johnston' said he thought the townships -)were worried that Seaforth could "jack up" fire protection costs after a trial and that. without the FAB. structure; they'd have no. control over costs, • It would be safe to set down what fire protection would cost each municipality for even five or ten years, commented councillor Henry Mero, as long as increases were indexed to some provincial standard. "I've talked personally to• some township. councillors and. they're • worried ` ' (that Seaforth would charge, for example) 513,000 one year and S20,400 the next," councillor. Mero said, • Losing equity and the loss of representation were the two objections to buying fire protection, Reeve John Flannery said rural people had told him. At. the same meeting council considered'. prices of a new fire truck, presented by fire chief Harry Hak. Cost would be "in the range of S70,000 completely set up," chief Hak said. "A long way from $100,000",` commented mayor Sinnamon. Seaforth feels there's some urgency in getting the fire protection question settled so. that itcan order the new truck, "Even if the town buys a truck, on its own, if the townships eventually want to buy protection, we'll have two good pumpers, The town won't be out that much. A second truck was needed, even if we stayed as a FAB," said - councillor Jim Sills. "We need a new truck away, regardless. of which way we go," agreed deputy reeve Bill Dale, and other councillors seemed to. agree. Chief Hak was, asked to bring a firm price on:a new fire engine to a special council meeting to be called by the mayor and. clerk. He was also asked to get two appraisals of current FAB equipment so that each municipality knows what its equity,, is. �wnships say no BY WILMA OKE McKillop council members . agreed Tuesday to turn down an invitation from the, Town of Seaforth 'to attend a meeting in Seaforth along with `councils •; from its four neighbouring townships The meeting, set for September 12, called for the townships to negotiate the terms of the town's proposed agreement to Sell : fire protection to the townships: The townships -McKillop; Tuckersmith, Hibbert and Hullett, have refused to consider buying protection from the town and have been going along with plans to continue the management of the present fire fighting service. Seaforth by opting. out of the, agreement will lose all 'equity in the 4.he uro i a m • .Inside n i s de this week •The. "Crazy 'Lady" next door ..: . . P. 10 • Varna's own parade. . . P. 11 Injury at Motocross P. 13 F of A wants another look at Mitchell lagoon . , Kindergarten or bust. Bruce and. Darlene Williams Tuckersmith couple home from Yukon jobs BY ALICE GIBE Darlene and Bruce Williams, both former Tuckeramith Township residents, • spent their slim er m camped on a hill, with a view that stretched t hed :for miles around, unbroken by anything but mountain lakes: Aside' from two other Hien in the sante ':snip, their only other company was moose, 'caribou and oneg grizzl bear who outstayed his welcome. Y Y . The couple spent almost three months in the 'Yukon, just 50 miles from the norther B.C. border, exploring for uranium and. other minerals. Bruce Williams, a geol- ogist bytrade directed tex edi i og thelP ton, and Darlene, when she wasn't assisting in sample taking, was the camp cook. Brttce, the son of Ken and Dorothy Williams, R.R. 4, Clinton, is a geologist with, Urangesellscheft Canada Limited; a West German -owned • company Which (Continued on Page 3) .equipment at the end -of-December. At a, meeting last week Seaforth learned it will cost over $70,000 for a new fire truck. Seaforth clerk James 'Crocker, concerned about the :ill -feeling that has been created over the town's proposed.withdrawl from the fire area board, wrote a letter to the Eire Area Board asking the members to arrange a meeting with the town and negotiate the terms of Seaforth's plan to `.sell fire protection. The township representatives agreed to take the proposal back to their councils with the result that McKillop turned down the invitation at Tuesday afternoon's council session: Reeve .. Allan Campbell said it is so disheartening that the town has not changed its mind and insists on, considering only its proposal to sell fire protection, refusingto re -negotiate the present fire area board agreement which has been in effect for. 10 ` •years_ at the end of December,: DUPLICATION , The reeve said ,"We are willing to negotiate a joint agreement of the present five municipalities as .now exists but we are not willing,. to ,buy fire protection from Seaforth. 1 feel sorry for our (McKillop) ratepayers who have helped, to pay the big share in the present equipment' and now those who have moved to Seaforth are faced with duplication: McKillop ~council, was • informed by a council official from Hullett that the • Township of Hullett remained firm in its decision at a council session Monday night not to buyfire protection from Seaforth but to go along with its neighbouring townships in managingthe present equipment at the end of the year: Councillor Joseph Gibson of Hullett in a telephone conversation. Tuesday said he did not thinkthe four reasons • Seaforth gave for opting out were insurmountable. He said.. "Educated people should be able to 'talk it out and settle the difference:" Councillor Gibson said he would still consider re negotiating the present board agreement, if Seaforth would agree. Tuckersmith Township council at its meeting Tuesday night declared it was willing to re negotiate the present agreement now in effect but was unwilling to negotiate the . terms of purchasing fire.. protection from the town. Tuckersmith is hosting a meeting of the four townships at Huron Centennial School, Brucefield, on September 11. The meeting will be .closed:. to the press as the details -of _managing_.their_-:own •-fire--•department::are worked out by the township councils, Hibbert. Township met Tuesday •night as well and they too will write Seaforth council that they will decline to buy fire protection from the town but arewilling to meet . and: neogtiate the present agreement. with the five. municipalities involved with the present Seaforth Fire Area Board. PAVING THE TOLL - A;friendly motorist makes a donation to Seaforth. fireman Peter Kling, chairman of thespecial events committed, which organized a "toll bridge" at Seaforth's main intersection: The firemen raised $1,539. for the Muscular Dystrophy campaign through, donations by motorists and local businessmen. (Expositor' Photo). To,I,l bridge oc Main `S# Fir for Seaforth firemen raised $1$39 in donations ' for the Muscular Dystrophy campaign with the "toll bridge" at Seaforth' main, intersection on Friday evening. Fire Chief Harry Hak said $1513was donated by motorists going through the main intersection and $26 was donated by other local citizens during'. 'the weekend. Local merchants also made substantial'. contributions to the MD campaign. Tile money will be forwarded to the Muscular Dystrophy campaign in Toronto and will assist in the treatment of people suffering fromthe disease• and will fund further research. This was the first' time the firemen had tried the idea of Setting up a toll bridge at the main intersection. Two firemen manned each approach to the intersection, and motorists were warned well in advance to expect the "bridge". Anyone making a donationwas given a bright yellow sticker to attach to their windshield. Harry Hak saiddonated , motorists generously with One donation of $20 tossed: into the hat. Peter Kling was chairman of the special events committee which planned the toll. Ian teen Attention .Teenagers: Bored,: listless. wishing there was more to do in .town" If you fit into the above category. and •live in Seaforth, McKillop of Tucketsmith, then . you're likely . just the person needed to help organize a teen town group in. Seaforth, The first organizational meeting for the group will be held on Monday, Sept, 10 at the town hall at 7:30' p.m. Both teenagers and interested adult volunteers arei luntee s invited to n t attend. Charles Akey, who is arranging the organizational meeting, said the main purpose of the group would be to hold weekly dances, and hopefully sponsor some community projects. The group would be aimed at teens 13 to 18 years old, and the functions would be non-alcoholic in nature. Attendance at the group would be limited to arca teenagers, so dances Can be kept down to manageable levels. Charles Akey said he decided to call the, organizational meeting after being approached by a lora, parent who claimed there's little for teetlagers to do in the town. The hast time there was a similar town organization in Seatorth was about a climatic ago. Charles Akey said the problem then teemed to be with people from other centres crashing the local dances, • brie way to prevent 'this in the future would be to make the teen town a Bard.carrying group, so only Members were admitted to local functions. • In addition on to the dances', Mr. Akey s aid chert could be a variety of activities from sleigh 'tides to skating panic's to booths at community events like the: Seaforth Eall Fair, Mr. Akey said the group could be operated by a board of directors, made up of, the teens themselves. who draw up their own rules for operating the club, and select . p, their own executive, He said hopefully parents would act as volunteers to staff the dances. Hesaidi_ _- iswill f the group orgatii�'cd, they need some guidance from other community organizations such as the parks and recreation department. 1,5 dys tro Tuckersmith reeve seeks - - warden's job, Tuckersmith Township reeve Ervin Slery announced he will seek the Huron County warden's position, Mr. Sillery made the axinouncement• at last Thursday's county council meeting,. The warden's job is also being sought by two other count: politicians - Usborne reeve ill Morley ;and Goderich:.Reeve Eileen. Palmer,: If Mrs. Palmer is selected, ,she will be the county's first woman warden. The warden will be chosen at the. December meeting of county council. One of the few Enrollment - up at St. James' St. James Separate School, Seaforth, is. one of the few county schools which can claim an increased enrollment this year. Last year, there were 141 students enrolle. d at the school • on the. '.first day of'. classes in the fall, but this year, 14,6 students had enrolled as of Sept. 4. In 1978, there were only four kindergarten students enrolled on the first day of classes, but this year, kindergarten enrollment has, swelled. •to 17 students... In: Huron County overall, separate school enrollment has dropped by 3.8 per cent, from an enrollment of 1,289 students in 1978 to 1,240 students in .1979. Overall enrollment across the Huron - Perth Roman Catholic School system has, dropped from 2,705 students in 1978, to 2,642students in '197.8. William Eckert, director of education said this is an overall' enrollment drop of 2.3 per cent, less than the projected 4.75 enrolment decline predicted tv the administration At St;. Columban Separate School; there`: are three less students attending school this fall - a drop from 67 to 64 students, At St. Patrick's • School, Dublin, enrolment has dropped from 209 students in September 1978 to 198 students this fall. ,However„•this.': year there are 30 kindergarten students compared to. 20 students ':last fall which means there will be two kindergarten classes at the school Since' many of the kindergarten students• travel by bus, they will attend kindergarten • for a full day on alternate days. There are also staff changes at the three (Continued on Page 3) bridge. campaign... . Harry :H. ak said the firemen also wanted to thank Frank 'Phillips whose homemade fire truck was used in the muscular dystrophy campaign, . sets s��a sched�rle Seaforth council accepted the resignation of rec director Clive Buist "with regret” at a special meeting last week. Mr, Buist leaves September 28 for a new job as director of recreation in• Fergus, "He has done the town a great servicer Many groups have benefitted from Clive's patience and awareness,:" said councillor Jitn. Sills. G Clive has "d.ine alot for the town', mayor John Sinnamon :agreed and said he was "bettering himself. You can't fault him for moving but he'll be an awfully hard fellow to replace." "We have to accept he's going to: a bigger town which can offer more, We have to accept that ".ve're a small town and that's it"commented Reeve John Flannery. Council passed a salary schedule for the rec director's o t rs bli and for ar the other vacancies, an office receptionist and arena attendant, with set increases that could, clerk; Jim Crocker said, be looked aton the employee's anniversary date, A new employee could start anywhere on the scale, spending on his or her experience' and qualifieations. The rec director's salary schedule starts at 513,000 and increases',to S13,520, S14,040, 514,560, and $15,080. The arena job goes from 58,320 to $10,400' in four Steps and the receptionist's salary front $3,50 to S4,75 in increments of ,25c'per hour. • Clerk Cr'ocket', who suggested' the salary !sehcdules to'council said he, hoped they would avoid hassles when new people are hired and during negotiations, gotiations. Ho said touncil could set up similar salary grids for Other town positions. A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND - Sonic • times a gIri's beet 'friend is her teddy bear, and Keren Bender r 3, was quite happy to attendapery in honour of very Spetaai yrs held' at Seaforth Public Library on Friday afternoon